A painted vintage china cabinet is that crown jewel, that WOW piece in any room. China cabinets make a massive statement due to their size, but a bold pop of color takes them to another level.
In this post, I am going to go over my ten most loved (by customers and followers) painted vintage china cabinet makeovers.
1. Magenta China Cabinet With Beveled Glass
This magenta color is actually named Ruby & it is like a deep, precious ruby stone.
I was very concerned that the client may get shocked by such a large dose of color and may regret it, but I was wrong.
Christian Lacroix Wallpaper & Modern Matter Hardware
A butterfly wallpaper is such a fitting addition to this stunning china cabinet. It’s definitely quite a transformation going from ugly, dated brown to this stunning, deep, jewel-toned Ruby.
The wallpaper is called Mariposa by Christian Lacroix. It has a beautiful, soft gold glow. The butterflies are colorful, so you can pair this with almost any color.
An entomologist’s dream, this wallcovering captures the inventiveness of nature’s design in staggering detail. Printed on easy-to-hang washable non-woven grounds.
The best part was that the design on the wallpaper was random, so we didn’t have to worry about matching seams.
I chose Modern-Matter’s hardware in Amazonite. These are Benson backplates & knobs on the doors. The magenta and seafoam combo with gold is just divine.
This transitional swivel rocker chair has durable mechanisms to ensure safe, quiet movements. It is perfect for the nursery or to comfortably sit back and watch the big game. Relax and enjoy the 360 degrees to always have the best view in the house.
The Benson Backplate is hand casted in solid brass. It is paired with our Benson Knob and other knobs to create a unique and glamorous look.
I checked in with the client a year later & she loves it just as much—no regrets about the color choice.
This was her mother’s china cabinet and brought back delightful memories for her.
2. Faux Bamboo China Cabinet In Deep Green
It’s almost too easy to impress when we make over the date of the yellow faux bamboo pieces with bold colors and shiny brass hardware.
This Thomasville for bamboo china cabinet is really well-made. You can read my detailed post about bamboo furniture here.
Exotic Blooms Wallpaper & Modern Matter Hardware
The client sent me the exotic floral wallpaper from Etsy.
Wallpaper adds unique style to any room and provides the perfect way to express yourself in your home. Available in traditional unpasted or removable peel and stick, its never been easier to decorate your interior like a pro.
The tropical leaves and flowers combined with the rich, deep green look pretty spectacular.
We chose modern matter hardware for this one. These are the 2-inch fretwork knobs.
Timeless and romantic, The Fretwork Knob has an antique allure that dates back to Georgian and Gothic design. Sand casted in solid brass in low relief and hand polished, it is one of our most loved designs.
3. Sunshine Yellow China Cabinet With Fretwork
This bright, sunshiny yellow beauty was a tough one to paint. Yellow is just a tricky color in general. Most yellow pigments are very transparent, so it’s extremely challenging to get coverage. We spent many, many days getting the color to look right.
I believe the results are worth it. Look at the before. This is exactly the kind of China cabinet that you ignore at an estate sale because it looks (and it is) like your grandma’s China cabinet.
Scalamandre Belize Wallpaper & Modern Matter Hardware
The client sent this Scalamandre Belize wallpaper & she chose the soft blush pink rose quartz knobs for the bottom doors. The combo is stunning.
Save on Scalamandre Wallpaper. Pattern# SC 0001WP88381 pattern name & color Belize. Enjoy this beautiful wallpaper. Scale Large. Swatches always available. Quick Shipping. Mahone's has been Family owned since in Lynchburg Va since 1969.
4. Bernhardt Hollywood Regency China Cabinet
This Bernhardt China cabinet it’s just was just a victim of a dated brown finish. It has pretty amazing shiny brass custom hardware. Hardware is like jewelry on any cabinet, and this one has tons and tons of it.
We added a custom metal base to increase the height of this one. The client chose to keep the mirror. I was concerned that it would look dated, but I think it brightens up the whole cabinet.
We also painted a deep green version of the same china cabinet. Look at the beautiful eclectic dining room below. The client has combined a live edge table with a glamorous china cabinet fearlessly. This is how eclectic is done. You can read my post on eclectic dining rooms here.
5. Teal Faux Bamboo China Cabinet
This beauty is in my dining room, and I get to see it every single day. The original brown faux bamboo is, again, pretty dated. This China cabinet is made by Thomasville, and it is as solid as it can be. I love the wide-open glass pane on it. It offers the perfect canvas for a large print wallpaper.
Schumacher Brighton Wallpaper With Modern Matter Dogwood Knobs
I chose Schumacher’s Brighton wallpaper by Miles Redd. The colorway is “multi,” & it is pretty.
Modern Matter’s Dogwood knobs are the perfect little jewelry it needed
Brighton Pavilion Panel – Multi Wallpapers | Schumacher
6. Fretwork China Cabinet In Coral & Ruby
This might have been the only coral China cabinet that I have painted in all these years. The funny thing is that I got two of these China cabinets about the same time, and they sold about the same time. One customer chose this gorgeous coral, and the other customer chose my Ruby color.
The Coral cabinet has new hardware from Etsy. I love bail pulls and the pulls on the doors.
2.5" 3.75" 5" Cabinet Door Knob Pull Handle Brushed Brass Dresser Knobs Drop Ring Drawer Handles Greek Key Lynns Hardware 2 1/2 64 96 128
7. Black China Cabinet With Window Pane Fretwork
Black is quite possibly the most challenging color when it comes to high gloss lacquer. We managed to nail it on this one. We got rid of the super traditional fretwork on this cabinet, and we added simple window pane-style fretwork.
Thibaut Gold Cork Wallpaper
The wallpaper is, believe it or not, cork. This one is a gold colorway by Thibaut. I really think that having a texture makes the gold look rich and classy versus the cheap gold foil look of solid gold.
Cork wallcovering adds depth and warmth to your environment. For the best results,
we recommend a professional wallcovering installer should hang these wallcoverings.
8. Grandma’s Yellow China Cabinet In Amazon Moss
This dated, bulky & yucky yellow China cabinet had a sentimental value for the customer. It belonged to her grandmother, and it sounded like it was very special to her.
I was pretty concerned. I was not sure how it would turn out because, as you can see, it is dated, yellow, and bulky.
Sometimes, even I cannot see past the ugliness of some vintage furniture. The customer chose a vibrant green combination similar to Ben Moore Amazon Moss and a beautiful soft blue.
It went from being ugly to stunning—quite the transformation.
9. Traditional To Faux Bamboo China Cabinet Conversion
This rust-colored beauty started out as your typical traditional China cabinet. This client wanted a large China cabinet with a full bamboo aesthetic. So, we added custom full bamboo trim to all the doors and drawers. It was quite a task, but as you can see, it was totally worth it.
Hardware is the same as the one for number 2
I will try to find a wallpaper source
10. Cornflower Blue China Cabinet With Bubble Glass
I debated adding this to the list of my top 10 makeovers, but the reason why I added it is because the paint and the addition of a colorful wallpaper give this China cabinet a completely new light lease on life.
This is something that would end up in a landfill after an estate sale because nobody wanted it. If you can look past the ugly brown and imagine the color on it, then the possibilities are endless.
Notice how the bubble glass looks very pronounced in the brown version. Whereas in the painted version, it fades away. Of course, natural light helps significantly.
Wallpaper Source – I will try to find
Final Thoughts
A painted vintage China cabinet can be a spectacular addition to any room. It is like a blank canvas that allows you to add big splashes of color and bold patterns. If Bolden colorful is not your cup of tea, then you should totally check out my blog post on white china cabinets here.